Keir Starmer has urged pro-Palestine activists planning to demonstrate this weekend to respect the grief of British Jews following the attack on a Manchester synagogue. Writing in Jewish News and the Jewish Chronicle, the Prime Minister said peaceful protest was a cornerstone of democracy but a minority had used demonstrations as a pretext for stoking antisemitic tropes. He called on anyone considering joining Saturday's protest to recognise that this was a moment of mourning, not a time to cause further pain.
Organisers of the demonstration, which opposes the Government's ban on the group Palestine Action, have refused to call it off, insisting that cancelling would "let terror win". Defend Our Juries, the group behind the event, said supporters, including many Jewish people, still wanted the protest to go ahead. They expect 1,500 people to take part in a peaceful sit-in at Trafalgar Square, holding signs saying "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action".
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood added her voice on Friday to calls for the event to be postponed, while Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said continuing protests after the attack would likely create further tensions and might lack sensitivity. Rowley accused organisers of drawing valuable resources away from London communities at a time when they were needed most.
In a statement, Defend Our Juries said its thoughts were with those who lost loved ones in the attack on Heaton Park synagogue and stood in solidarity with the Jewish community. However, Jewish supporters warned that postponing would risk conflating the actions of the state of Israel with Jewish people worldwide, potentially fuelling antisemitic hatred. The group reiterated its condemnation of the attack and urged police to protect communities rather than arrest peaceful protesters.
More than 1,600 people have been arrested at protests since Palestine Action was proscribed on 5 July. Rowley said police would call in support from forces across the UK to enforce the law, with additional resources deployed near mosques and in areas with larger Muslim populations.
